Vehicle-step.



` PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906. S. H. WILSON. VEHICLE STEP.

APPLICATION FILED P12113. 1905.

VUNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

STANLEY H. WILSON, vOF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RAILWAY APPLIANCES COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR- -PORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1905. Serial No. 245,350.

Patented Nov. 61906.

To dlllwhom. it Wha/y concern: n

4Be it known that I, STANLEY H. WiLsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at `Chicago Heights, .county of Cook, State of eing had to the accompanying drawings,.

which forma part `of this specification.

My invention relates in general to vehiclesteps, and more articular y Steps ofthe type covered by United States Letters PatentNos. 382,331, 385,017,39291,

-retlculated meta lic treads.

' and 476,323, granted to F. H. Stanwood, have proved in practice to be extremely efiicientv as they ,serve as foot-Scrapers .and prevent any slipping of the foot upon them, so that persons getting on .and off the vehicles incur no dangerof falling.

The primary. object of my invention is to provide an improved step` for vehicles, vladders, &c., .of the Stanwood type :and one particularly adapted for automobiles, the

-parts of which may be readily assembled and in which the tread projects above the surrounding supporting-frame and rests upon a flange projecting inwardly from the supportame.

A fur-therobject of my invention is to provide a step-tread which will-afford a sure footing :and which at the same time will be siming-f1' ple in construction and inexpensive in manufacture. f

The embodiment of my invention herein disclosed may be generall4 described as consisting in a supportingame surrounding the tread and having an inwardly-projecting flange upon which the tread rests, a tread composed of bent metal strips and straight strengthening-strips arran ed `on Aedge and projecting above the top o the surrounding supporting-frame, and transverse tie-rods passing through holes in the bent strips and elongated slots in the straight strips, the ends of the tie-rods being supported in the surrounding frame.

My invention will bemore fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated to` steps 'having I integral, while the rear section B is detachas embodied in a convenient and practical form, vand in which- Figure 1 is a plan view Fig. 2, an. elevational view looking from the bottom of Fig. 1

Fig. 3, a sec-tional view on line 3 3 in Fig. 1;

l and Fig. 4, an enlarged detail view on line 414,

Fig. 1.

The same reference characters Aare used to indicate the same par-ts in the several figures of the drawings.

lA indicates a su porting-frame angular in cross-seetion, whicli surrounds the tread portion of the ste The front and side'portions A and A2 of t e frame are preferably formed ably'secured to the adjacent endsof the side sections.

Any suitable means may be provided for securin the ends of the rear section. Preferably, owever, lugs b and b2 project inwardly rfrom the ends of the rear section andy overlap the vertical flange at `the ends ofthe side sections. Fastening devicesfsuch, for instance, as bolts-pass through registering holes in said lugs and flanges on the side sections. The inwardly-projecting flange of the rear section B is Lcut away at its ends to receive the inwardly-projecting flanges a a. on the ends `of the side sections.

The tread ortion oi' the step is composed of a series of ent metallicstrips and a series of straight strengthening-strips. The bent strips are shown as. arranged inseries of three D', D2, and D3, interposed between the front section of the frame and the adjacent strengthening-strip C', and similar series .of

three-bent strips between the strengtheningstrips C Cz C3 and the rear section B .of vthe frame. The strips composing the tread are arranged on edge ,and project above the vertical flange of the suri ounding frame. The inwardly-projecting fiange of the-.surrounding frame underlies theedges of the tread and `supports the same. The .contacting portions of the bent strips are united by registering bosses d, while similar registering bosses also unite the portions of the bent strips through the interposed strengthening-strips, as clearly shown in Fi 4.

In order tIiat the step may have sufficient strength and rigidity, tie-ronds E and E2 are employed, which extend through holes in the vertical flange of the front section of the sup- IOO porting-frarnejand also through holes in the strips composing "the tread portion of the step. The rear ends of such tie-rods are screw-threaded and extend throughelongated slotsv b3 in the vertical flange of the rear Section B and are provided with nuts e.

In order to facilitate the securing of the tread portion to the supporting-frame, the strengthening-strips are provided with elongated slots c, through which the rods E and E2 pass. Such elongated slots permit the be placed through the tread withholes through the strengthening-'strips of the tread. The elongated slots b" in the rear section B of the frame alsol permit Vthe ends -ef the tie-rods'to be readily'engaged with such section. l .j

Any suitable means may be provided for securing the step to the vehicle or other object in connection with whichthe step is used. For convenience I- have shown a bracket F, provided withflaterally-project- -ing ears f f2, which lie adjacent to the vertiycal flange. of the rear section of the frame and an Ainwardly-proj ecting earjfa, which underlies the horizontal flangel ofthe rear section. ,Suitable fastening devices-such, for instance, as bolts-#a e provided for securing the ears on the bracket F to the frame of the step.

From the foregoing description it will be lobserved that I have invented an improved step adapted for various uses, but particularly designed for use as an automobile-step, which is so constructed as to permit the .ready assembling of the parts thereof and which isrendered perfectly safe in use by reason of the upper surface of the tread projecting above the surrounding supporting-frame. It is obvious, however, that the vertical flange of the supporting-frame may be extended flush with the upper surface of the tread Awithout rendering the use of the step unsafe by reason of danger of slipping. The vertical flange of the. supporting-frame is comparatively thin and has aI vertical inner surface adjacent the vertical edge of the tread, so that the upper edge of the flange affords a secure-support for the afoot.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate 'changes in form, t e proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,`

1. In' a step of the character described, the combination with a tread composed of metallic strips set on edge, of a rectangular supporting-frame composed of integral front and side sections and a detachable rear section, said frame having a horizontal flange extending under and supporting the edges of the tread, and a vertical flange terminating below the upper surface of said tread, and lugs on the ends of said detachable rear section of the frame lying within and secured to the adjacent vertical flanges of the side section, the ends of the horizontal flange of said rear section being cut away to receive the horizontal flanges on said side sections.

2. In a step of the character described, the combination with a tread composed. of bent metallic strips and straight strengtheningstrips set on edge, of a rectangular supporting-frame composed of integral front and side sections and detachable rear section, said frame having a horizontal flange extending under the edges of said tread, and a vertical flange terminating below' the upper surface of said tread, lugs on the ends of the detachable rear section lying within and secured to the adjacent flanges of the side sections, the ends of the horizontal flange of said rear section being cut away to receive the horizontal flange on saidA side sections, and transverse tie-rods extending through holes in said bent strips and through elongated slots in said strengthening-strips, the ends of said rods being supported in the vertical flanges of the front and rear sections of said frame.

3. In a step of the class described, the combination with a tread composed of a plurality of metallic strips set on edge, of a rectangular supporting-frame for the tread surrounding the same and composed of integral front and side sections and a detachable rear section; and transverse tie-rods connecting the metallic strips of the tread with the supportingframe.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

STANLEY H. WILSON.

Witnesses:

C. A. ODEGAARD, JAMES M. WHELAN.

lOO 

